Lukaku unfazed by criticism

Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku insists he doesn’t worry about criticism levelled at him after the goalless draw against Liverpool on Saturday.

The Belgium international had a gilt-edged chance to score the winning goal for the Red Devils at Anfield, but directed his shot too close to goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, who made a routine save in the end.

The miss has fueled criticism that Lukaku doesn’t play well against the ‘big-six’ clubs, with a record of only 15 goals in 57 games against the top teams.

But Lukaku was quoted as saying by the Mirror: “I don’t think too much about it. I just move on. I know expectations are really high but that is something I relish.

“I don’t put pressure on myself. The biggest pressure for me came in the European Super Cup against Real Madrid (in August) as that was the game when everyone was looking at me thinking, ‘Will he do it?’

“That game (in which he scored in a 2-1 defeat) freed me from everything. People will say this and that but I am in a situation where the team is performing really well even though there is a lot of work to do.

“The biggest strength is knowing you are going to score and knowing you are going to miss. A lot of strikers miss bigger chances than me but with me it is always, ‘Rom did this, Rom did that’.

“That is the standard I’ve set myself. It is something that happens in football and I am relaxed about it.”